Welcome to my blog and thanks soso much for spending a little while peeping into my world

... all from my little home studio in Durban, on the east coast of sunny South Africa!

"I used to think that anyone doing anything weird was weird. I suddenly realized that anyone doing anything weird wasn't weird at all and it was the people saying they were weird that were weird." -- Paul McCartney

Friday, September 30, 2011

Welcome to an all new Freebie Friday and what a great one it is today! Jodie, Bugaboo’s awesomely talented artist and designer, is releasing for us today a wonderful “Make it Snappy” set to finish off September like no other!
This wonderful set is available now in the Bugaboo Stamps Store but the little ”Cake” featured below is our Freebie for the week so head on over to the store and grab your freebie.
I know you will love it so much you will have to go back for the entire set!

This is my creation, just to whet your appetite:

as usual, here are your useful links:

There is always something exciting happening at BUGABOO STAMPS, and if you would like to keep up to date, why not join the groups :

To join the Bugaboo Group at CDAC, click HERE
To join the Catch the Bug Group on PCP, click HERE

The wonderfully talented crafters of the Design Team would love to welcome you at one, if not both groups.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Welcome to another TERRIFICALLY THRILLING THURSDAY here at Shelly's Images.

This week's featured image is " Diamond Ring",

AND our challenge to you this week is TIC-TAC-TOE:

Before I share the MY creation for your inspiration today, I'd like to welcome our sponsor for today's challenge :

'PIZAZZ APLENTY'

There will be a $10 SURPRISE GIFT PACKAGE to our Gold Medal winner
in addition to the image they will win from Shelly's Images.

And this is my creation:

I made a criss-cross fold card, with pockets inside the flaps to hold two ATC's.

I used the options of the diagonal for the TIC-TAC-TOE - ling and flowers - and as my "free" I used some silver stickers.

Now that that I have shown you my creation, it's your turn to show us what you can create.....

And just by playing along, you could win a wonderful prize!

To check out this and many other fabulous images in Shelly's store, click HERETo join Shelly's group on CDAC, click HERETo visit Shelly's blog where you can find lots of new techniques, and view the fabulous inspiration of my fellow D-Teamies, click HERE

I love it that Bugaboo Stamps has a day set aside to play with Oldies BUT Goodies! Hey - to those of you who're new to Bugaboo every one of the stamps is like a new release!

Have a look HERE too, to see what the other Design Team members have created.

Being the Bugaboo Stamps Guest Designer for September and October, I get to show you an oldie, but oh my gosh - such a cutie!

The image I used is called Girl Turtle and is available in the store HERE.

She was coloured using Copics and a white gel pen, and I used her on a shaped card, a notelet and envelope card. It is a one-layer card, and the gold lines showing where the notelet and envelope are, are actually stick-on s. This technique is one that I learned at our Card Guild Workshop Day last week - and was one of the nine techniques we learned. Some flowers, inked and adorned with flat back pearls, and some die cut swirls, complete the card.

As I usually do for you, here are some really handy links:

There is always something exciting happening at BUGABOO STAMPS, and if you would like to keep up to date, why not join the groups :

To join the Bugaboo Group at CDAC, click HERE
To join the Catch the Bug Group on PCP, click HERE

The wonderfully talented crafters of the Design Team would love to welcome you at one, if not both groups.

This weeks sketch...it's "YOUR PICK" Make it fancy, clean and simple, or somewhere in-between. Remember to click on the sneak peek button on the side bar for the following weeks sketch each Friday.
"YOUR CHOICE"

In case you've never heard of it here's a little blurb about it from their website:My Memories Suite version 2 software is a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a powerful set of creative tools and multiple sharing options that no other software can offer. Its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features are perfect for a beginner to build an entire album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece. I have yet to really get to play with this awesome software, but it sure looks cool and really easy to use.
Click over to visit their really fabulous site www.MyMemories.comOne of our weekly players will win this software valued at $39.97

Thank you so much My Memories!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This weeks sketch...it's "YOUR PICK" Make it fancy, clean and simple, or somewhere in-between. Remember to click on the sneak peek button on the side bar for the following weeks sketch each Friday.
"YOUR CHOICE"

In case you've never heard of it here's a little blurb about it from their website:My Memories Suite version 2 software is a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a powerful set of creative tools and multiple sharing options that no other software can offer. Its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features are perfect for a beginner to build an entire album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece. I have yet to really get to play with this awesome software, but it sure looks cool and really easy to use.
Click over to visit their really fabulous site www.MyMemories.comOne of our weekly players will win this software valued at $39.97

Thank you so much My Memories!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, September 24, 2011

I created this card using an image that is just so serene and beautiful from Guylou's Inimitability.

I didn't use the whole image ad I didn't want to detract from her beautiful face. She is coloured using Copics, and matted onto a die from Nellie's Choice. Then I placed her onto an embossed shiny metallic silver mat.

The stars around the diecut are sewn on, and the card is finished off with a luxurious silver bow.

Good Morning and welcome to the newest challenge!! Today there's a dual challenge! We have a great sketch for you to try and we want to see some great colors! Those details are below and we'd love to see you use both parts of the challenge however we will accept it if you choose to use either the sketch or the colors!

Your colors to use are pink, green & black

The rules are simple:

(as usual the useful links are below)

Create a Project using the sketch and or colors listed above and post a link to it on Bugaboo Stamps' challenge blog, Catch the Bug, by 10/1/11 at 6:00 AM EST to be entered a random drawing for three digi prize packs - seven (7) (using a Bugaboo image only), four (4), or two (2) using any image!

Limited to 3 projects per person please

Don’t forget your creations can also be made to fit our challenges over at PCP and CADC for our Wacky Wednesday Challenge! There is still plenty of time to play in which is a photo inspiration Challenge! You could win 5 free Bugaboo images so why not join us!

Here is my creation for your inspiration :

I used the ever so cute little image called Sunbonnet- Fish from the store HERE and printed her out once, flip the image and printed her out again. Colouring was done using Copics and some flat backed pearls and a flower were the embellishments. The big diecut is oone from Docrafts, one of my new ones.

I hope you like what you see and are inspired to join the challenge too.

Check out the Catch the Bug blog HERE
Check out the Bugaboo Stamps store HERE

Friday, September 23, 2011

Well yes, if it's Freebie Friday at "Catch the Bug" where Jodie, the awesomely talented artist of those cute Bugaboo Stamps is giving away a freebie today. It's one of the Halloween blocks and here is what I made with some of the other Halloween blocks available in the store:

So if you hurry, y6ou might just be in time to snag it!

Go check the DT's creations using the blocks HERE, and from there you'll find your way to where to find the freebie!

It has been a while since Shelly's Images offered a Fabulous Freebie Friday so she's sharing three files that she made for a project for her daughter Taylor's 13th Birthday.

The first file is a sentiment. This sentiment is great for many projects, but also works perfectly for this Diamond Fold card. If you would like to know how to make your own Diamond Fold card you can visit our tutorial here.

FRIDAY is one the doorstep of the weekend, AND A Day for Daisies New Releases DAY.

Today's new images are ALL just great, but I chose to work from this set:

and my card :

When I first saw the image, a long card with the sentiment on the same level as the image came to mind and I started on the card right away. I must say that altough it looks great as a CAS card in these colours, I felt the image needed a little more exposure, so I set about making another, but in brighter colours. and this is what I came up with:

For this card I used much bolder colours, and again, very few embellishments - in fact the only ones I used were small red, teardrop-shaped gems on the flowers.

This fabulous set is not the only one in the new releases, the other are equally as precious!

As usual I have a set of useful links for you:

Click HERE to go to the A Day for Daisies group on Crafters Digital Art Centre
Click HERE to go to the A Day for Daisies group on Paper Craft Planet
Click HERE to go to the A Day for Daisies group on The Crafter's Cafe

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Welcome to another TERRIFICALLY THRILLING THURSDAY here at Shelly's Images.

TERROR IS THE WORD!!!

This week's featured image is "Light in the Night", and just in time for all of your Halloween and Fall creations. This image is available at a special sale price for today only so be sure to stop by Shelly's Images store to get your copy.

I made a project - a welcome sign for a Halloween party:

I printed the image three times, and flipped it to use as directional arrows for the little boys' and little girls' rooms. Copics were the colouring medium and I used that fabulous brass spider that I inherited from my grandparents, as the scary embellishment.

This is your inspiration to the COLOUR CHALLENGE at Shelly's Images:

Show us your creations in Burnt Orange, Maroon and Brown.

Now that that I have shown you my creation, it's your turn to show us.

And just by playing along, you could win a wonderful prize!

To check out this and many other fabulous images in Shelly's store, click HERETo join Shelly's group on CDAC, click HERETo visit Shelly's blog where you can find lots of new techniques, and view the fabulous inspiration of my fellow D-Teamies, click HERE

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

This week we have an easy challenge ... Anything Goes - with a bonus!!!

If you enter a papercraft project using a non-Digistamps 4 Joy image, you will get one entry into the random draw.

BUT

If you use a Digistamps 4 Joy image on your entry, you triple your chances of winning .... you get THREE entries into the random draw! Now isn't that a bonus!?!

One random winner will be chosen (random.org) to win 3 images of choice from the store.

We will then have a DT's choice award. This award will go to the card / project that we vote to be our favourite (and must be a digistamps4joy image). This winner will receive a $6 gift voucher to spend in the store. We hope that there will be an entry (or two) using a Digistamps 4 Joy image, as there wasn't one in the previous challenge.

You do not need to use a Digistamps4Joy image to win, but we’d love it if you do!
We will choose 2 runners-up who we feel deserve a spot in the top 3.

Challenge Rules
You can use any image for the challenges. See above.
You have two weeks to enter the challenge.
You may enter a maximum of three (3) entries per DIGISTAMPS 4 JOY challenge.
Your entry must be new. No backlinking to previous posts.
Please link back to Digistamps 4 Joy blog.
Projects that do not follow the theme will not be entered into the draw.
Please use the Inlinkz to link to your CARD/ PROJECT only, please don't link to your entire blog.
You may combine this challenge with other challenges.
If you don't have a blog then please load your card/project into the gallery on the website, and link to that.

The most important rule, however, is to have fun!

This is a Halloween card I made with a Digistamps 4 Joy image (one of my own digital drawings)

Monday, September 19, 2011

We’d like you to create ANY papercraft project for one entry into the random winner’s draw.

BUT here’s the BONUS : if you use a Nettie G’s image, you get three, not two, yes THREE entries into the random winner’s draw. That’s THREE chances per creation with a Nettie G’s image!

In case you are haven't entered a NettieG challenge before, the details can be found on the Challenge blog sidebar.

There are some fabulous cards from the Design Team, to showcase some of the images that can be found in Nettie’s store and this is what I created using Nettie's "Thanksgiving Prayers" image:

I coloured the image using Copics and highlighted with a white gel pen, and layered it on "Life of the Party" paper. The sentiment is a free one (sorry - don't know who it's from) inked the edges, curled the corners and popped it up on a double layer of foam squares.

The distressed frame effect is created by using the same stock you'll be using for your card to later. It's then the layer that gets inked around the edges and then stuck onto the card.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Today I'd like to show you all a card I made with the Bugaboo digistamp called "Monster - Birthday Balloon" one of the fabulous little Bugaboo monsters. Isn't he just the cutest little guy, just perfect for a young boy's birthday card?

Monsters just wanna have FUN!! And with today's Bugaboo freebie, you'll see just how much fun these cute guys can have!! Today's Freebie as well as the rest of the "Birthday Monsters" collection are on sale now at the Bugaboo Stamps Store.

My monster was coloured using my Copics and a white gel pen, and the sentiment I created in MS Word.

Here are some handy links for you :

To visit the Bugaboo stamps online store, click HERE
To visit the Bugaboo "Catch the Bug" blog from where you can enter the challenges and lots more, click HERE
To join the Bugaboo group on CDAC, click HERE
To join the Catch the Bug group on PCP, click HERE

Friday, September 16, 2011

This week the challenge is is use Punches or Die(s) or Die Cuts on your project! We all have punches we just had to have only to stick them in the drawer or rack and use them on rare occasions, well let’s drag them out and shine them up for this challenge - and this is what I did!

As the Guest Designer for Bugaboo Stamps, I get to show my inspiration card along with all those fabulously talented crafters, and this is my card:

I merged two digi's for this card - Flower Trio and Flamingo - water - plant, and coloured them using Copics and a white gel pen. The border was cut with a Marianne's Creatables border die and embellished with some self-adhesive gems.

See how easy it is - yes? so why don 't you enter a card too!

The rules are simple:
Create a “Punch or Die Cut” Project and post a link to it on Bugaboo Stamps' challenge blog, Catch the Bug, by 9/17/11 at 6:00 AM EST to be entered a random drawing for three digi prize packs - seven (7) (using a Bugaboo image only), four (4), or two (2) using any image!

Here are some handy links ...

To visit the Bugaboo stamps online store, click HERE
To visit the Bugaboo "Catch the Bug" blog from where you can enter the challenges and lots more, click HERE
To join the Bugaboo group on CDAC, click HERE
To join the Catch the Bug group on PCP, click HERE

I hope you like my card and it inspires you to enter the challenge too! I'd love it if you left me a comment or two...

This week's new releases at A Day for Daisies are just super cute - all beverage related, and each one more precious than the one before.

The set I chose to create from is this one:

And this my project ...

It's a letter to Santa, and the cute image is accompanied by a poem I was inspired to write when I first saw the image.

There is nothing special that I did other than colour the image using copics and a white gel pen, and I pasted it on a backing sheet of red, to pick up the red of the mug.

Here is a close-up of the image and the poem :

You are free to copy the poem and use use it for your own personal use. It is not cor commercial use. Please link your creation to this post, and drop me a line to show me what you made.

To give you a clearer picture of the colouring on the image, here is a more detailed view:

Here are some handy links for you:

All the DT's have used a different image, and each one is simply outstanding!

Click HERE to go to the A Day for Daisies group on Crafters Digital Art Centre
Click HERE to go to the A Day for Daisies group on Paper Craft Planet
Click HERE to go to the A Day for Daisies group on The Crafter's Cafe